The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Wednesday announced the tentative dates for the 38th edition of the National Games, set to take place in Uttarakhand from January 28 to February 14 next year.

The picturesque state of Uttarakhand, renowned for its natural beauty and rich culture, is gearing up to host the multi-disciplinary event for the first time. The IOA and the Government of Uttarakhand are working closely to ensure that the 38th National Games will offer an exceptional experience for athletes, officials, and spectators alike.

In a statement, the IOA said, "The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is pleased to announce that the 38th edition of the National Games will be held in Uttarakhand from 28 January to 14 February 2025 (subject to the approval of IOA's General Assembly, which is scheduled to meet in New Delhi on 25 October 2024). The Games, which will see participation from athletes across the nation, will showcase the best of Indian sporting talent across a wide variety of disciplines."

In order to promote the growing popularity of UPI, RBI has proposed to increase the transaction limit through UPI Lite to Rs 1,000 and wallet limit to Rs 5,000. Currently, the transaction limit through UPI Lite is Rs 500 and Rs 2,000. RBI will soon issue guidelines in this regard.

'UPI 123 Pay' facility now available in 12 languages
Giving information about the decision taken in the three-day bi-monthly Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) review, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das on Wednesday said that with continuous innovation and acceptance, UPI has changed the country's financial landscape by making digital payments easy and inclusive. He said that suitable amendments will be made in RBI's framework related to UPI Lite to facilitate small value payments through offline digital means. Apart from this, 'UPI 123 Pay' facility will now be available in 12 languages.

UPI wallet limit increased from Rs.2000 to Rs.5000
Shaktikanta Das further said that in order to further encourage the use of UPI and make it more inclusive, it has been proposed to increase the per transaction limit in UPI 123 Pay from Rs.5000 to Rs.10000. Along with this, it has been decided to increase the limit of UPI wallet from Rs.2000 to Rs.5000 and the per transaction limit will also be increased to Rs.1000. He said that like UPI and Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) and Real Time Gross Settlement System (RTGS) will also have the facility of verification of account holder's name before finalizing the fund transfer.

RITES Ltd., a PSU transport infrastructure consultancy, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Etihad Rail.

The MoU will help in exploring synergies in developing railways and related infrastructure services in the UAE and the broader region.

The partnership aims at leveraging the strengths of both entities to explore collaborative opportunities for supply/leasing of rolling stock, consultancy and project management for railway projects, and services such as repairing rolling stock and operation & maintenance of railway infrastructure to ensure more efficient and modernized rail services in the UAE and across the region.

Deforestation continued last year at a rate far beyond pledges to end the practice by 2030, according to a major study published on Tuesday.

Forests nearly the size of Ireland were lost in 2023, according to two dozen research organisations, NGOs and advocacy groups, with 15.7 million acres of trees felled and burned. This “significantly exceeded” levels that would have kept the world on track to eliminate deforestation by the end of the decade, a commitment made in 2021 by more than 140 leaders. Forests are home to 80% of the world’s terrestrial plant and animal species and crucial for regulating water cycles and sequestering CO2, the main greenhouse gas responsible for global warming.

“Globally, deforestation has gotten worse, not better, since the beginning of the decade,” said Ivan Palmegiani, a biodiversity and land use consultant at Climate Focus and lead author of the Forest Declaration Assessment report.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has projected a real GDP growth of 7.2% for the fiscal year 2024-25, along with an expected moderation in Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation to 4.5%, following the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting held on Wednesday.

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said that GDP growth is projected at 7% for Q2, increasing to 7.4% in both Q3 and Q4. For the first quarter of the next financial year (2025-26), growth is anticipated to be 7.3%, with risks evenly balanced across various economic indicators.

Das emphasized that this growth trajectory is supported by strong quarterly performances, notably fueled by a revival in private consumption and an uptick in investments. “Real GDP grew by 6.7 percent in Q1 of FY25, led by a resurgence in private consumption and the highest investment share in GDP since 2012-2013,” he said, although he noted a contraction in government expenditure during the same period.

India has taken a monumental step in astrophysics with the inauguration of the Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment (MACE) Observatory in Hanle, Ladakh.

Dr. Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, officially opened the facility marking a significant milestone in India's scientific achievements.

MACE stands as Asia's largest imaging Cherenkov telescope and, at an altitude of approximately 4,300 meters, is the highest of its kind globally.

An Imaging Cherenkov Observatory is a facility designed to detect and observe Cherenkov radiation produced by high-energy cosmic particles, such as gamma rays or cosmic rays, when they interact with Earth's atmosphere.

In a historic maritime engagement, Indian Navy and Italian Navy carried out the maiden exercise by Carrier Strike Groups (CSG) of both the sides, off Goa coast from October 1 to 6.

The sea phase of the exercise, held on October 5 and 6, was led by the carriers INS Vikramaditya and ITS Cavour, along with INS Visakhapatnam and ITS Alpino, the Indian Navy said.

The Italian CSG, commanded by Rear Admiral Giancarlo Ciappina, left Italy’s Taranto on June 1 and has been on an operational campaign in the Indo-Pacific region. It comprises aircraft carrier ITS Cavour, multi-mission frigate ITS Alpino, and multi-purpose patrol boat ITS Montecuccoli.

Ratan Tata, the chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, has died, the group announced in a statement on Wednesday. He was 86. Ratan Tata, who ran the conglomerate for more than 20 years as chairman, had been undergoing intensive care in a Mumbai hospital since Monday.

"It is with a profound sense of loss that we bid farewell to Mr. Ratan Naval Tata, a truly uncommon leader whose immeasurable contributions have shaped not only the Tata Group but also the very fabric of our nation," said N Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons, in a late night statement.

On Monday, the industrialist had in a social media post dismissed speculation surrounding his health and had said he was undergoing routine medical investigations due to his age.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Ratan Tata, calling him a visionary business leader, compassionate soul, extraordinary human being.

Yorkshire have appointed Anthony McGrath as their new men's head coach, succeeding former West Indies cricketer Ottis Gibson.

McGrath, 49, has signed a five-year contract and returns to his home county, where he developed as an all-rounder and earned 28 caps for England, including four Test appearances.

McGrath began his coaching career at Yorkshire after retiring in 2013, later moving to Essex.

At Essex, he initially served as assistant coach to Chris Silverwood, helping the team gain promotion in 2016 and win the County Championship in 2017.

The Indian women's table tennis team are assured of a first-ever medal at the Asian Championships after they beat Paris Olympics bronze medallists South Korea in the quarterfinal. Ayhika Mukherjee defied her status as a rank underdog by beating Shub Yubin and Jeon Jihee, thus becoming the architect of India's win.

Ayhika, ranked 92nd in the world, beat World No.8 Shin Yubin and World No.16 Jeon Jihee. She and Manika Batra gave India an unexpected 2-0 lead in the tie before South Korea fought back to make it 2-2.

Ayhika and Manika Batra had given India an unexpected 2-0 lead before the South Koreans made it 2-2. Ayhika held her nerve against Jihee to seal the win in the deciding contest.